Cuba Biotechnology Company ®
www.cubabiotechnology.com

The adventure of HIV/AIDS in
Cuba has to be one of the most successful public health stories in the
World today. In the mid-1980s, returning Cuban soldiers from sub-Sahara
Africa were ill but the etiology of their disease was inconclusive. These
soldiers were quarantined to prevent a possible pandemic in Cuba. As the
World began to elucidate this curious new viral disease from Africa, under
the orders of Jorge Perez, M.D. and others, Cuba destroyed all non-Cuban
derived blood products because they believed blood transmission of this
infectious agent was highly possible. Additionally, an extensive epidemiologic
program was instituted to track the prevalence of HIV in Cuba and be useful
in a comprehensive HIV/SIDA prevention and treatment program for all of
Cuba. Largely through the efforts of Jorge Perez, M.D. at the IPK Tropical
Medicine Institute, Cuba has the lowest prevalence of HIV in the Western
Hemisphere. The Cuba AIDS Project
is a non-profit humanitarian effort of private USA citizens helping the
people and non-governmental organizations (esp. the Monserrate Church
in Central Habana) of Cuba in their struggle against HIV in Cuba.

Cuba has also embarked on manufacturing anti-retroviral agents to combat
HIV in Cuba. If Cuba can produce an excess of its needs, then Cuba intends
to sell these anti-viral pharmaceuticals to other nations, esp. in Latin
America and Southeast Asia. In the first 10 months of 2002, the use of
Cuban manufactured anti-HIV medications sharply reduced morbidity and
mortality in patients with AIDS in Cuba. At yearend 2002, Cuba produced
anti-HIV medicine for about 1/3 of its HIV/AIDS patients. In 2007, Cuba
produces enough anti-HIV medicine to care for 100% of its HIV/AIDS patients
and export, at cost, these medications to other Caribbean and Latin American
nations.

Clinical trials in Cuba to develop an effective HIV vaccine have been
jointly undertaken by the Finlay Institute and the IPK Tropical Medicine
Institute. The outcomes of these clinical trials will be posted on this
website as the data becomes available. Because vaccines are not yet successful
in preventing HIV and HIV drug-resistant strains are increasing, Cuba
will also be pursuing RNA interference research, which, if successful,
not only would be useful in combating HIV but also many other viral diseases.